If You Could Read My Mind
by Kate Anderson
Summary: *Chapter 5 up* Faith develops a rather unusual ability (Bosco/Faith)
1. Chapter One

Title: If You Could Read My Mind... (1/?)  
Author: Kate Anderson  
Email: sam_loves_jack@yahoo.ca  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine! They belong to Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells and um, some other people. No money is being made from this work. Don't sue, I have nothing you'd want.  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: Faith develops a rather unusual ability.  
  
  
  
  


"Nice ass!" 

Faith looked around, part of her hoping to find this marvelous bottom her partner had just spoken so highly of. A dog nearby had its head stuck into a trash can and Faith fervently hoped it wasn't the dog's ass he had been admiring. For all she knew, he could have been referring to himself. Not that she thought he had a nice ass. 

"I'd love to get me some of that!" 

Nope, definitely not talking about himself. The dog had shifted positions and had his? - Faith squinted - yup his, rear pointed directly at them. She looked around hoping desperately to locate a female, preferably human. 

"Damn, that's fine!" 

Faith finally had enough. She spun around and faced her partner. "Would you cut it out already?" Faith asked. "I can only take so much of your chauvinistic crap!" 

Bosco looked perplexed. "What? I didn't say anything!" 

Faith rolled her eyes. "Sure you didn't Bos." 

She turned away from him again. The dog pulled its head from the trash can and snarled in their general direction before running down the alley. 

"Geez, wonder who pissed in her cornflakes this morning. Maybe Fred couldn't get it up last night. Oh ewww, don't even think about Fred getting it up!" 

Faith turned to look at Bosco, disbelief written all over her face. She opened her mouth to say something but then chose to ignore his rude comment and go back to doing whatever it was they were doing. 

"Uh oh, she looked pissed. What did I do now?" 

Faith pondered why it seemed that Bosco speaking as though she weren't there. It was as if he was suddenly unable to simply think things. There were a lot of things that Bosco couldn't do, she reasoned, but keeping an inner monologue wasn't one of them. 

"I'm hungry." 

Faith turned to Bosco and checked her watch. "We could probably call in for a dinner break now." she said. 

Bosco smiled happily. "I was just thinking about that!" he said happily. 

"She and I are so in tune sometimes it scares me!" 

Faith stared at Bosco, wondering if he'd taken up ventriloquism as a new hobby. She'd definitely heard his voice, but his lips hadn't moved. Maybe she could use him as entertainment for Charlie's birthday party. 

"Where do you want to eat?" Bosco asked. His lips were moving now. 

Faith shrugged and accidentally dropped the keys on the ground. She bent over to pick them up. 

"Oh yeah, definitely a nice ass!" 

Faith's eyes practically ejected themselves from her skull. Didn't he realize she could hear him? She stood up and straightened her shirt. "Ummm, Chinese?" she asked. 

Bosco grinned. "Chinese sounds perfect!" he said and hopped into the car. Faith opened the driver's door and got in. 

"Call us in?" Faith said. Bosco activated his radio and they received permission to go 10-63. 

______________ 

"This restaurant always smells like cat piss." 

Faith had to laugh. "Is that something you smell often Bos?" 

Bosco looked confused. "What?" he asked. "Is what something I smell often?" 

"Cat piss. You just said that this restaurant always smells like cat piss!" 

"No I didn't." 

"Yes, you did!" 

Faith stared at Bosco. He looked a bit worried as they sat down at a small table along the wall. Faith felt a bit worried herself. 

"Oh man, I gotta take a leak." 

Bosco shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Could you order me one of those sweet and sour combos with a coke? I gotta visit the little boy's room." 

Faith nodded and Bosco took off down the hall. She placed their orders and soon Bosco returned looking much relieved. 

"I wonder if she'll know that I didn't wash my hands." 

Faith looked at Bosco with disgust, wondering why he felt he had to share that with her. She made a mental note not to let Bosco touch her food. 

"The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain. The rine in Spine falls minely on the pline!" 

Faith glanced over at Bosco who had what could only be described as a dopey grin on his face. 

"You say potato, I say potahto!" 

Faith decided that he must be practicing his ventriloquism again. 

"Why does Faith keep looking at me? Is there something on my face? Is my fly done up? Oh wait, she couldn't know about that. Maybe my hair is sticking up funny?" 

Faith furrowed her brow and watched as Bosco ran a hand over his hair. 

_____________ 

"This sucks." 

Faith, not having seen Bosco's lips move, kept her mouth shut. 

"Faith keeps staring at me. Stop staring at me! It's startin' to creep me out!" 

Faith jerked her head forward and pretended to be engrossed in watching the buildings pass by. She had, by this time, decided that Bos hadn't taken up ventriloquism. That meant two things. One, she'd have to find someone else for Charlie's party and two, she was somehow picking up Bosco's thoughts. To be honest, the second one was a bit more worrisome. 

"I really shouldn't have had that fourth coke with dinner." 

Faith snickered and then covered her mouth with her hand so Bosco wouldn't see her smile. 

"I wonder if Faith knows she sounds like a donkey when she laughs." 

Faith looked insulted but decided to humour him. "Hey Bos, you think we could stop off at a gas station or somethin'? I gotta pee." 

Bosco rolled his eyes. "I swear to God, you must have a bladder the size of pea." he said out loud. 

"Oh thank God, thank God!" was what Faith heard. 

Bosco pulled into a gas station parking lot and shut off the car. "You waiting out here?" Faith asked. Bosco squirmed a bit. 

"No, uh, actually, I think I'll come in." he said. "You know, might as well use the facilities while I'm here." 

Faith nodded. "I'll lock my door then." 

Bosco got out of the car and began to make his way towards the building. They grabbed the washroom keys and headed back outside and around the back to where the washrooms were. Faith didn't really have to go but as she shut herself in the room, she was relieved to find out that Bosco's thoughts stopped broadcasting. She really didn't need to know what he thought about while taking a piss. 

When Faith stepped out of the bathroom she found Bosco waiting outside the door. "I hope she'll think it's just water." 

Faith glanced down and noticed a medium sized wet spot on Bosco's thigh. "Get a little wild with the tap in there Bos?" she asked. 

"Uh yeah, that thing was spraying in all directions." he replied. 

Faith snorted and hurried back towards the main gas station door to return her key. 

_____________ 

"Wow, she really looks nice in the moonlight." 

Faith smiled to herself. She didn't mind hearing Bosco's thoughts as long as they were complimentary. 

"I wish she'd let her hair down more often." 

Faith had resigned herself hours ago to knowing that it appeared that Bosco had a bit of a crush on her. Then she'd resigned herself to knowing that she was talking like Emily. Since when did she use the word crush? 

"I don't think we're gonna find this guy Bos." Faith said, referring to the guy they had been chasing after he knocked down an old lady and took her purse. 

Bosco shone his flashlight into the back of a cargo van. "Probably not." he said. "Shift's almost over anyway." 

"You wanna head in?" 

Bosco nodded. "Sure beats standing around out here looking for some guy who could be over in Queens by now." 

Faith holstered her nightstick and shut off her flashlight. The RMP was parked a couple blocks over and they walked that distance in silence. Well, silence as far as anyone else was concerned. Bosco's mind was going a mile a minute. 

"I need new shoes." 

"Wonder if Davis is up for a trip to the bar tonight." 

"Wonder if Davis is still banging Taylor." 

"Maybe Faith wants to go?" 

They reached the car and Faith tossed Bosco the keys. "You can drive." she said. "My eyes don't feel up to it right now." 

Bosco caught the keys. "Did Faith hurt her eyes? She never said anything before!" Bosco looked over at Faith with a concerned expression on his face. 

"It's nothing Bos." Faith said. "Don't worry about it. It's just a headache." From listening to you all day, she added silently. 

"You're probably not up for a trip to the bar tonight then are you." Bosco said. 

Faith shook her head. "No thanks, I think I'll pass. Maybe Davis or Sully will go." 

"Sully?" 

"Sure, why not Sully?" 

Bosco sighed. "That guy, he's just a total chick deterrent or something." 

Faith laughed. "Chick deterrent? He's not that bad!" 

Bosco started the car and turned on the headlights. "Not that bad?" 

Faith shrugged. "He's a nice guy." she said. Bosco scoffed and shifted the car to drive. 

"She finds Sully attractive? First Fred and now Sully? What does she see in those guys?" 

Faith buried her head in her hands hoping to drown Bosco out. It didn't work. "Do you mind if I turn on the radio?" she asked. 

"I thought you had a headache? You want to listen to music?" 

"Nothing loud, maybe just a nice easy listening station." 

"Sure, go ahead." Bosco said. "It just better not be Elton John or anything because otherwise, you're walking." 

Faith scanned through the channels and settled on one with nice acoustic music. She could still hear Bosco, but at least there was something else to concentrate on now. Whatever strange thing had happened to cause her to be reading Bosco's mind, Faith hoped that a good night's rest would reverse it. 

"Faith looks really exhausted. Maybe I'll offer to give her a ride home." 

Nooooo! Faith wanted to scream out. She was more than happy to go home alone, on the subway like she usually did. At least then she wouldn't have to listen to Bosco. 

Bosco pulled the squad into a parking space outside the precinct. He and Faith grabbed their various personal articles and headed inside. Sully and Davis were already in and heading for the locker room. 

"You look beat Faith." Bosco said quietly as he and Faith turned in their radios. "Want me to give you a ride home?" 

Faith shook her head. "And deprive you of all those hot chicks? I'll be fine on my own." 

"You sure?" 

"Yeah, I'm sure." 

Bosco shrugged. "Something's definitely up with Faith. Or maybe not up with Fred. Oh eww! Stop thinking about that!" 

Faith sighed and headed for the locker room. Bosco followed her, still berating himself for thinking about Fred again. Sully and Davis were already in their civvies. Davis was just buttoning up his shirt. 

"Davis!" Bosco called out. Ty looked up and nodded at Bosco. "You up for the bar tonight?" 

"I don't think so man. There's something I gotta take care of at home." 

Sully glanced over in Bosco's direction. "I wouldn't mind a beer or two." he said. 

Bosco threw his jacket into his locker. "Don't you have a wife at home Sul?" he asked. Faith could hear him practically screaming in his mind. 

"Tatiana's out of town for a few days." Sully replied. "Nothing at home but my tv set." 

"Great." Bosco said, his lack of enthusiasm duly noted, by Faith at least. 

"I'm outta here." Davis said. "Have fun tonight you two!" 

Faith pulled her blouse from her locker and put it on. Bosco was debating with himself whether or not to suddenly come down the flu. Faith imagined an angel Bosco sitting one shoulder and a devil Bosco sitting on the other. In the end, the angel Bosco won out and Bosco grudgingly left for the bar with Sully in tow. 

_____________ 

Faith sat on the subway, staring intently at her fellow passengers. She didn't understand it. Why could she hear Bosco's thoughts but no one else's? The man on her left coughed and flipped a page in his book. 

She wondered if she'd be able to hear Fred's thoughts. Maybe it would only work with people she was close to. Not that she really wanted to know what Fred was thinking, but it could help explain a few things. 

Her stop came up and Faith exited the train, keeping a close eye on her surroundings. There was a young woman who got off and an older man, who looked as though he could be a stockbroker or have some other high stress career. His suit was wrinkled and he looked ready to collapse right then and there in the station. Faith hurried along, wanting to get away from him before he did collapse and she'd be forced to help him. 

It was a short walk to her apartment and Faith arrived home shortly before midnight. She unlocked the door and found Fred sitting on the couch, staring at the television set. She held her breath and listened. Either Fred wasn't thinking anything, which was highly unlikely, or it was only Bosco. 

"Hey babe." Fred said, finally noticing that his wife was home. "How was your day?" 

"Fine." Faith said and shrugged noncommittally. "I have a headache, I'm going to bed." 

Fred mumbled something that Faith couldn't make out and turned his gaze back towards the tv. He appeared to be watching infomercials. Faith hoped that in 6 to 8 weeks she wouldn't be receiving knives, ab-rollers and hair removal cream in the mail. 

After brushing her teeth, Faith collapsed on the bed. All she wanted to do was get some sleep and wake up the next morning, preferably without her new ability. She wasn't sure that she could put up with another day of Bosco's thoughts assaulting her mind. 

She pulled the covers up, over her head and closed her eyes. When Fred joined her in bed an hour later, Faith didn't even move.   
  



	2. Chapter Two

Title: If You Could Read My Mind... (2/?)  
Author: Kate Anderson  
Email: sam_loves_jack@yahoo.ca  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine! They belong to Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells and um, some other people. No money is being made from this work. Don't sue, I have nothing you'd want.  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: Faith develops a rather unusual ability.  
  
  
  
  


Faith settled down in a chair at the internet cafe she'd found. Sure, she could have used a computer at the station but she knew that meticulous logs were kept of all activity on them. At approximately 10:30 am, Officer Faith Yokas logged in and performed a search on "mind reading". Yeah right. 

She wasn't sure how to go about doing this. Did she just type "mind reading" into the search field and hope something useful came up? 

Maybe there was someone she could see. Someone that specialized in strange disorders. Oh yeah, she could just hear that conversation. "Well, you see, it's quite simple really. It would appear that I am able to hear my partner's thoughts. Yes, that's right, I'm reading his mind." 

Maybe she could go on Jerry Springer or something. "On today's show, we have Officer Faith Yokas of the New York Police Department. Officer Yokas found out some rather sordid details about her partner, Officer Boscorelli when she suddenly found herself able to read his mind." 

Faith typed "mind reading" into the search engine and waited while the page loaded. Faith groaned. 37500 hits. She was never going to accomplish anything this way. 

______________ 

"Oh thank God, there she is!" 

Faith 'heard' Bosco the second she opened the locker room door. She knew she was running late. She'd stopped by the library after the internet cafe and had lost track of time. 

"You're late." Bosco said accusingly, slamming his locker door. 

Faith shrugged. "So are you apparently. Late night with Sully?" 

Bosco rolled his eyes. "I wish. My damn car broke down." 

"The Bosco mobile?! I thought you treated that thing like a baby." 

Bosco stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. "Hey, even babies get sick sometimes! I had to have it towed, then I took a cab the rest of the way." 

Faith grabbed the bottom of her shirt, intending to pull it over her head. Then she stopped. Bosco was watching her. She suddenly felt embarrassed to be changing with him in the room. 

"Hey Bos, why don't you head to roll call. I'll be there in a minute." 

Bosco frowned. Or maybe it was her imagination. 

"Damn. I was hoping she'd at least take off her shirt." 

Nope, not her imagination. He definitely had frowned. 

"Yeah okay." Bosco said. "I'll tell Lieu you'll be along shortly." 

"Damn damn damn da..." Bosco left the room. 

Faith quickly changed and shoved her bag into her locker. She was tempted to bring along one of the books she'd signed out from the library, but somehow reading 'Journeys Into the Human Mind' with Bosco in the car just didn't seem like such a good idea. It wouldn't do to arouse any suspicions. 

Faith half wondered how Bosco would react if she told him. "Oh hey Bos, I've been meaning to tell you. I'm able to read your mind!" Uh huh, invasion of privacy much? 

_____________ 

"I can't believe we got stuck with hooker patrol!" Bosco complained loudly. 

"We were both late." Faith said, trying to be reasonable. "It's not like we're being punished for no reason." 

Bosco glanced over at Faith. "I've been meaning to ask you, why were you late anyway?" 

Faith shrugged. "I got busy, lost track of time." 

"Probably busy with Fred. That lucky son of a bitch." 

Bosco's upper lip curled with disgust. Faith smiled. Somehow the thought of Bosco being jealous of Fred made her happy. In a weird, twisted kind of way. 

"Now I need new shoes and a new engine." 

Faith found it interesting how Bosco's thoughts could segue from her and Fred to needing new shoes. 

"Oh crap. It's Charlie's birthday next week. I can't afford to get him anything!" 

Faith almost opened her mouth to say that he didn't need to get him anything anyway. However, if he was willing to take up ventriloquism... 

"Well, well, well, what do you we have here?" Bosco slowed the car down as they passed by a row of buildings covered with graffiti. "That look like a hooker to you Faith?" 

Faith nodded, seeing a young girl standing in the shadows, trying to hide from them. Bosco put the squad into park and grabbed his hat. "This should only take a minute." he said. "You can wait here. I'll take this one, you can take the next one." 

Bosco approached the young girl and both began to wildly gesticulate. Faith couldn't hear the conversation or Bosco's thoughts. Apparently the mind reading thing only worked when they were in close proximity to one another with no barriers. 

The girl scowled at Bosco and stalked off down an alley. Bosco returned to the car with a grin on his face. Faith was almost afraid that Bosco had made a date for later, but that fear was put to rest immediately. "I sent her over to Sully's sector!" Bosco said gleefully. "At least she's not our problem anymore!" 

"We're supposed to be getting these kids off the street Bos, not just relocating them." Faith said disapprovingly. 

"What do I tell her that won't make me sound like a weenie? She had a gun? Nooo, bad idea. Uh, oh what the hell." 

Bosco began driving again. "She has a kid Faith." he said. "She needs the money." 

"And leaving her on the street in going to help them? What happens to that kid when the mother is murdered, o.d.'s or gets AIDS? She should be getting a real job if she really cares about that child." 

"What do you want me to do?" Bosco asked, recognizing the signs that Faith was about to go off on one of her 'save the world' tangents. "Offer to let her stay with me? Employ her as my maid?" 

"Anything is better than having her selling her body on street corners." 

"We can't help everyone out here." 

"No, but that doesn't mean that we can't try!" Faith spat out. 

Bosco shook his head. "Does she seriously think that I don't care? I do care. I'm just being realistic." 

Faith looked at Bosco. He didn't look particularly happy. She knew that he had done what he thought was right. "Sorry Bos." she said quietly. "You're right. Even if we had gotten her off the streets, she probably would have been right back out here again tomorrow." 

"Did she just say that I'm right?" 

"Did you just say that I'm right?" Bosco asked incredulously. 

Faith nodded. "Don't get too used to it." 

_____________ 

Maybe it had something to do with the weather. Maybe some freak weather conditions had caused her to gain this new ability. 

Faith sat in the restaurant pondering her situation. Bosco was happily nattering away to himself as he ate his hamburger. His current topic of conversation seemed to be about his car, so Faith was tuning him out. She was getting better at that. 

Maybe there had been some electrical storm front that moved in and caused her brain to go haywire. Maybe some higher power had deemed it necessary to punish her and was forcing her listen to her partner's innermost thoughts. If that was case, Faith would love to find out what she'd done wrong and remedy it immediately. 

Faith didn't even want to get into the really bizarre possible causes. It seemed extremely unlikely that anyone had put a spell on her. She liked the weather or act of God possibilities better. 

"You gonna eat that?" Bosco's spoken words interrupted Faith from her thoughts. He was eying her leftover hamburger hungrily. 

Faith shook her head. "No, you can have it." she said, pushing it towards him. Bosco snatched it up and stuffed it in his mouth. 

Faith sipped at her drink and hearing that Bosco had returned to thinking about his car, she returned to her own musings. What if this was permanent? Could she really spend every day with him, constantly knowing what he was thinking? She might have to request a transfer, work with someone else. 

"You gonna drink the rest of that?" 

Faith stared at Bosco. He was looking at her drink as though it were prey and he was the hunter. She half expected the glass to take off running for its life. 

"No, you can have it." Faith pushed the glass towards him as well. Bosco downed the liquid in several gulps. 

"You ready to get back out there?" Bosco asked, wiping his mouth with his napkin. Rather daintily, Faith noted. 

"I suppose so." Faith replied dully. 

"Faith sure is acting weird. She usually finishes her food before I do." 

Great, Faith thought. He loves me, but he thinks I eat like a pig and laugh like a donkey. Bosco headed towards the cash register and pulled a wad of bills from his pocket. Faith caught up to him and grabbed his arm. "I can pay." she said. "I don't need new shoes or have a busted car to fix." 

Bosco shook his head. "It's only a few bucks, I've got it. Besides, I ate most of your meal anyway." 

The cashier took Bosco's bills. "That's odd. I don't recall mentioning to Faith that I needed new shoes. Maybe I'm walking funny?" 

Bosco took his changed and stuffed it into his pocket. Faith was cursing herself for saying anything about shoes. Of course he hadn't said anything. She'd read his mind. Stupid, stupid, stupid! 

______________ 

"Hey Faith! I think you dropped something!" Bosco bent over and picked up a book that had fallen from Faith's bag. 

Their shift was over - several hookers had been evicted from their respective street corners and Faith had a pounding headache again. She turned around and found Bosco looking at a book. Oh no... 

"'Telepathy, Telekinesis and Other Tricks of the Mind'? You taking a course or something?" Bosco asked, flipping through some pages. 

Faith grabbed the book from his hand. "Uh no. It's for Emily." she said quickly. "She's doing a school project and asked me to check out some books for her." 

Bosco nodded. "Sounds interesting. I've always wanted to be able to read people's minds. That would be cool. You'd always be one step ahead of the other person." 

"Yeah, real cool." Faith replied. 

"Are you sure that I can't get you a cab or something? You look terrible." 

"Thanks, but maybe some fresh air will do me good." Faith said. And some peace and quiet, she added to herself. 

"I hope she's not sick again." 

Bosco put a hand on her arm. "Are you...alright?" he asked, his voice filled with concern. 

"I'm fine Bosco. I just haven't been sleeping much lately." 

"Are you and Fred having problems again?" 

"No! No, everything is fine. It's just insomnia." Faith lied. 

Bosco pursed his lips and gazed intently at her. Faith had to look away. "I'd better get going." she said, not looking at him. 

Bosco squeezed her arm gently. "Okay." he said and Faith tucked the book back into her bag and walked away. Once she was outside, she breathed in deeply several times. The night air seemed cool and refreshing. 

A squad car pulled up and Faith watched as Sully and Davis emerged from it, good naturedly ribbing one another. 

"Hey Faith!" Ty called. Faith smiled and waved. 

"You guys are getting in late." she said. 

Ty laughed. "Sully here decided it would be a good idea to wedge the squad into a parking space, to you know, teach the other driver a lesson in parking." 

Sully shot Ty a dirty look. "How was I supposed to know that we'd get towed? You aren't supposed to tow police cars!" 

Faith chuckled. "Sounds like something Bosco would do." she said. 

"Hey, what sounds like something I would do?" Bosco had just stepped outside and was standing on the steps. 

"Sully got our squad towed!" Davis called over to him. "We had to go to the impound lot and get it out!" 

Bosco walked over and joined the small group. "I would never do something that stupid." he said. 

Faith cocked her head. "Oh no? What about the time that retarded guy boosted our squad? Remember that?" 

"That's different!" Bosco said indignantly. 

"Sure Bos." Faith said. His thoughts were streaming into her head again and she began to inch away. "I'm taking off now. I'll see you guys tomorrow!" 

As Faith walked away, she heard Bosco laughing with Sully and Davis and she smiled to herself. Despite what he sometimes thought, he really did get along well with those two. Even Sully. 

_____________ 

Faith unlocked the door and stepped inside. Fred was sprawled out on the couch watching infomercials again. The phone was sitting on the coffee table and Faith felt a surge of fear. She really didn't need a super powered food processor or lipstick that never faded. 

"Hey babe." Fred said sleepily. He sat up. "How was your day?" 

"Fine." Faith replied. She hung her jacket up and kicked off her shoes. 

"Just fine?" Fred asked. "Nothing else?" 

Faith shook her head. "No, just fine. I'm going to bed." 

Fred scowled. It really wasn't a becoming look on him. "You never talk to me anymore Faith. Is everything alright?" 

"It's fine Fred. I'm just tired!" 

"You running marathons at work now?" he asked. "Because I don't get how you could be tired. You were completely zonked out last night. You didn't even move when I came to bed." 

"Yes Fred. Bosco and I ran a marathon today." Faith said. "Then we swam 20 miles and biked 30. It was the freaking Iron Man." 

Fred laid back down on the couch. "Fine, you don't need to get snippy!" he said. "So sue me for wanting to actually talk to my wife." 

Faith shook her head and hurried down the hall to the bathroom, dropping her bag off in the room on her way by. She shut the door and gazed at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were rimmed with red and were bloodshot. No wonder Bosco thought she looked terrible. This had to end. Soon.   
  



	3. Chapter Three

Title: If You Could Read My Mind... (3/?)  
Author: Kate Anderson  
Email: sam_loves_jack@yahoo.ca  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine! They belong to Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells and um, some other people. No money is being made from this work. Don't sue, I have nothing you'd want.  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: Faith develops a rather unusual ability.  
  
  
  


_A shot rang out, shattering the silence. Faith whirled around, a scream caught in her throat. _

He fell, clutching his chest with his hands. Crimson blood poured over him, staining his shirt and hands. She tried to move, but couldn't. 

He looked over at her, his eyes silently pleading for help. But she couldn't go to him. The eyes closed and his hands fell to his side. 

The scream that had been caught dislodged itself and issued from her mouth. Primal and gut wrenching. "Bosco!!!" 

Faith woke up in a cold sweat, her heart pounding. Her face was wet and she was dimly aware that she'd been crying. Fred lay beside her, mouth open, snoring loudly. At least she hadn't woken him up. 

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Faith found herself hoping that she wasn't suddenly psychic as well as telepathic. She eased herself out of bed, careful not to disturb Fred. A cup of tea was sounding good right about now. 

Faith padded down the hall and into the kitchen. As she filled the kettle with water and set it on the stove, her mind kept replaying her dream. She could almost hear a commentator's voice as Bosco fell, clutching his chest. "He's taken one in the chest! Look at him! He's going down. He's going down! Oooh, that's gotta hurt!" 

Her gaze fell on the phone, still laying on the coffee table. Part of her wanted desperately to call Bosco, make sure that he wasn't lying dead somewhere with a hole in his chest. It was 3:30. Bosco probably wouldn't be too happy to be woken up at that hour just because Faith wanted to chat. 

Faith exhaled through her nose in a dim approximation of a laugh. She could just hear Bosco's sleepy voice answering the phone and her asking him how he was. He'd probably hang up on her and kick her ass at work. 

The kettle began pumping out a bit of steam and Faith grabbed it from the burner before it started to scream. Ix-nay on the phone call, Faith thought to herself and grabbed a mug from the cupboard above her head. 

______________ 

Faith had just arrived at the precinct when a cab skidded to a halt behind her. A door opened and she immediately heard Bosco's angry thought. "Why don't you learn how to drive asshole!" 

Faith winced. Bosco definitely wasn't having a good day. A door slammed and the cab went careening down the street, narrowly missing Carlos Nieto who was arriving at work. Carlos made an appropriately rude gesture at the driver. 

"Faith! Hey Faith! Wait up!" Bosco called out to her. Faith heard his feet pounding on the pavement and knew he was running to catch up. She didn't slow down. Bosco finally caught up and fell into step beside her. 

"Hmm, looks like Faith's day as been almost as good as mine." 

"Hey Bos." Faith said, trying to sound at least a bit cheerful. "Having a good day?" 

"Hardly." Bosco replied. "First I find out that it's gonna cost me almost $6000 to fix my car, then my toilet gets clogged and finally I had to get a ride to work with the cab driver from hell!" 

"You could have just taken the train in." Faith said and pulled open the station house doors. 

"I would have been late if I'd done that. I was up to my elbows in toilet water until 2:00." 

Faith chuckled at the mental image she got of Bosco with his hands in a toilet. Then she recalled what Bosco's toilet usually looked like and shuddered. There was no way that she was gonna let him touch her today. 

"What about you?" Bosco asked. "You look like you're having a bad day too." 

Faith sighed. They entered the locker room and she put her bag down on the bench. "No, I'm not really. I didn't sleep well again, that's all." she said and this time it was the truth. "Did you ever fix your toilet?" 

Bosco threw his shirt off over his head and appeared with ruffled hair. Faith resisted the absurd urge she had to reach out and smooth it. "No, I'm going to have to call a plumber." 

"And now I need new shoes, new engine and a new toilet!" he added to himself. 

Faith unbuttoned her shirt and took it off. She had on a dark tank top underneath. She'd purposefully chosen one that covered up a lot and wasn't see-through. Bosco's disappointment was evident. "Damn, that could have been the highlight of my day." He frowned again. 

Faith almost felt bad for robbing him of his one joy. Almost. 

______________ 

The streets were quiet today. Bosco drove along bitching to himself about lack of money, among other things. Faith was pondering her situation. Again. It was becoming standard procedure. 

The books that she'd read that morning had been remarkably unhelpful, not to mention boring. She'd figured out that what she had was known as 'spontaneous selective telepathy' but there didn't seem to be any causes or cures listed. As if she could just take a pill and this would all end. 

Bosco was now pondering what he could possibly get Charlie for his birthday. His list seemed to be comprised of: an old sock, a used baseball cap, and a fifth grade math textbook that Bosco had never returned. Faith highly doubted that her son would want any of those items. Especially the old sock. 

"Hey Bos." Faith said, an idea suddenly forming in her mind. "I've been meaning to tell you, it's Charlie's birthday next week and we're having a small party for him." 

Bosco nodded. "Yeah, I know it's his birthday. I've been thinking about what to get him." 

Faith shook her head. "You don't have to get him anything. I know you're little short on cash right now, but you could do me a huge favour though. I'm sure Charlie would really appreciate it." 

Bosco looked a bit frightened. "She'd better not want me to dress up like a chicken and dance." 

"What is it?" he asked her, trying to keep his voice even. 

"Charlie's been going through this phase," Faith said, "A cop phase. He keeps begging me to bring him down to the station so he can hang out with the guys. Anyway, Fred and I were thinking of having a cop theme for his party." 

"Uh huh..." Bosco still looked frightened. 

Faith continued, "Now you wouldn't have to do much, just come to the party in your uniform. You could maybe show the kids a few moves with your nightstick, pretend to arrest Charlie or somethin'. You know, that kinda thing." 

"Sounds almost kinky. I wonder if I can bring my gun." 

Faith very nearly choked. "You'd have to leave the gun at home of course." she said quickly. "I'm not trying to scare his friends." 

Bosco sighed. "Why don't you wear your uniform?" he asked. "It looks the same as mine." 

"Because I'm his mother. It would be weird. Besides, Charlie adores you Bos. He'd love to have you there." 

"Oh the things I do for her..." 

Faith smiled. Bosco finally nodded. "Yeah okay fine. I'll do it. Just tell me when." 

_____________ 

"But I can't help, falling in love with you..." 

Faith tried to hide her smirk. Who knew that Bosco was big on Elvis? He'd been singing to himself for about ten minutes now. It wasn't like there was much else for him to be doing. They had been sitting in the car, staking out a porn shop for over an hour now and nothing was happening. 

"I think they have us at the wrong place or somethin'." Bosco complained. The serenade stopped. 

"We're off in an hour. Just be patient." 

Bosco exhaled noisily and went back to lightly tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and singing. "Wise men say, only fools rush in..." Apparently Bosco only knew one song. 

"Bosco?" Faith patted him on the arm. 

"What?" 

"Look." Faith gestured towards the porn shop. Two men had just exited and were looking down the street. 

"Think those are our guys?" Bosco had one hand on the door handle, ready to leap out. 

Faith nodded. "They match the description." 

"Think they've made us?" 

The men appeared quite unconcerned. They had their hands stuffed in their pockets and appeared to be conversing with one another. Faith shook her head. "Doesn't look like it. You ready?" 

Bosco nodded and taking another look at Faith, he opened his door. Faith was out of the car a second after him. They drew their weapons and approached the men from behind. 

"Don't move!" Bosco called. "NYPD!" 

The two guys whirled around and one pulled a gun from his jacket pocket. "Drop the gun!" Faith yelled, pointing her weapon directly at the man. "Drop the gun now or I will fire!" 

The man swore and dropped the gun. The other man looked scared shitless. "Kick it over to me!" Faith yelled and the man kicked the gun in her direction. 

"Up against the wall, now!" Bosco yelled and as the men moved to comply, he roughly threw the one who had held the gun against the brick wall. Faith took the other one and patted him down. 

Soon both men were handcuffed and thrown into the back of the squad. Bosco slammed the door shut and wiped his hands off. "Now that's excitement!" he said happily. Faith could see his eyes glinting in the streetlight. His cheeks appeared to be flushed. 

On the way to the station, Bosco resumed his internal concert and was now unknowingly serenading Faith with the selected works of Billy Idol. The men cuffed in the back were muttering to each other and occasionally swearing at Faith and making questionable remarks about Bosco's mother. 

______________ 

"Why don't you two knock off early today." 

Faith looked at Swersky as though he'd suddenly sprouted a head on his shoulder. "He can't be serious." Faith couldn't agree more with Bosco. 

"You serious?" Bosco asked aloud. 

The lieutenant shrugged. "Your shift's over in 45 anyway and you brought in Huey and Duey over there. Not much else out there for tonight." 

"Great thanks." Faith said. Her head was hurting. Not as much as the previous days but enough for her to be in discomfort. 

"You wanna hit the bar?" Bosco asked Faith as they made their way to the locker room to change. 

Faith shook her head. "I thought I'd just go home. Maybe surprise Fred." 

"Why does she never want to hang out with me?" Bosco looked a bit hurt. 

"Fine." Bosco said. "Good job out there tonight by the way. Getting that guy to drop his gun." 

"I've always got your back Bos, you know that." 

"Good job anyway." Bosco said. He opened his locker and took out his civvies. "You sure you don't want to hit the bar?" 

He sounded almost desperate. Faith realized that he was lonely and she could never resist it when he looked so pitiful. She sighed. Maybe she needed to take a course on how to resist your partner when he makes puppy dog eyes. 

"You know what?" Faith said. "I changed my mind. The bar does sound like a good idea." 

"Yay!" Bosco cheered to himself. For a bizarre moment, Faith pictured Bosco in a cheerleader's uniform, waving around pink pom-poms. 

They quickly changed into their civvies and soon they were headed out of the station and down the street to the bar. Bosco kept looking at Faith from the corner of his eyes and Faith pretended not to notice. His mind was racing with thoughts about how nice she looked and how happy he was to have some company that wasn't Sully. 

"Bos, if you don't want to go to the bar with Sully because he's a chick deterrent, how come you'll go with me? Aren't I an even bigger chick deterrent?" Faith asked. She knew it was mean, but she wanted to know what his response would be. 

"I like hanging out with you." was Bosco's verbal reply. Inside he rambled on about how she was the only chick he really wanted anyway. 

_____________ 

"I wonder if she'd dance with me if I asked her." 

Faith looked over at Bosco. His head was bent over his beer. She found herself wondering what she'd say if Bosco ever asked her to dance. 

"She'd probably say no." 

Faith decided that he was probably right. She had to say no, even if she wanted to say yes. Bosco took a swig from his mug and set it back down on the table. There were several couples out on the dance floor, dancing to music from an old jukebox. Faith vaguely wondered if it played any Elvis tunes. 

"Should I ask her?" 

Bosco debated with himself for several minutes and Faith listened closely. She was beginning to realize that Bosco was seriously in love with her. That scared her. That scared her a lot. 

"Faith?" 

"Hmmm?" 

"Do you want to dance?" 

Faith coughed. "Dance?" 

"Way to go stupid!" Bosco berated himself. "Now she looks scared. Why would she ever want to dance with you anyway?" 

Faith shrugged. Bosco looked embarrassed. "I could dance." she said finally. 

"You could?" Bosco looked confused. 

"Sure, let's dance." Faith clarified. It must have been the beer that made her say that. 

The song that had been playing ended and someone moved to jukebox and made another selection. Faith almost died when she heard the music begin. Bosco had stood up and was looking nervously at her. 

Faith joined him and they moved to the dance floor. Bosco awkwardly put a hand on her back and Faith put a hand on his shoulder. They moved from side to side. 

"She's dancing like I have the plague or something." 

Faith tried to contain the laughter. She moved closer to him, resting her other hand on his back. She could feel the heat radiating from his body. 

"That's better. Much better." 

Faith smiled as she heard Bosco humming along with the song. He was singing along in his head. She was tempted to rest her head on his shoulder, but resisted. She didn't want to get too close. 

"I can't help...falling in love with you..." 

Faith couldn't help but wonder if Bosco was indeed just singing along with the song, or if he was silently talking about her. Either way, she was enjoying herself way too much for a married mother of two.   
  



	4. Chapter Four

Title: If You Could Read My Mind... (4/?)  
Author: Kate Anderson  
Email: sam_loves_jack@yahoo.ca  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine! They belong to Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells and um, some other people. No money is being made from this work. Don't sue, I have nothing you'd want.  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: Faith develops a rather unusual ability.  
  
  
  


_Faith laid back on her towel, the hot rays of sun beat down upon her body. The warmth eased away all traces of tension she'd been feeling. _

A handsome man lay beside her, clad only in brightly coloured swimming trunks. His chest was perfectly sculpted. Faith closed her eyes and smiled. Now this was the life. 

"Hey baby," said a sexy, low voice from her side. "You should let me put some sunblock on you." 

Faith's smile broadened. The man sat up, picked up a bottle and shook some lotion out onto his hand. He reached over and smoothed it onto her exposed stomach. His hand was cool on her sunbaked skin. 

"So sexy..." he murmured softly, moving his hand upwards to caress her breasts. 

"Oh Bosco..." Faith breathed, letting his touch move her. 

Faith sat up in bed, pushing the covers off herself. Fred grunted slightly as the cool air hit him and yanked the covers back up. Faith wiped her brow, hoping the warmth that had spread through her body would dissipate. Fred twitched and began to snore again. 

Maybe a cold shower or some ice would help her cool down. Faith wasn't sure she wanted to analyze the reasons behind her having erotic dreams about her partner. Her very off-limits but sexy, handsome, gorgeous, adorable and single partner. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Faith hoped she was psychic as well as telepathic. 

Beside her, Fred scrunched up his face and farted. Charming, Faith thought and slid out of bed. It was raining outside, but Faith was still lost in the tropical paradise of her dream. A beach vacation, with or without Bosco, was a very nice prospect indeed. 

______________ 

Faith paused outside the locker room. She wasn't sure why until she heard Davis. "Hey Bos!" he said. "You're looking happy today. You been gettin' some lately?" His tone was teasing. 

It was almost weird to hear Bosco say something without first hearing him think about it. Not that he often thought before he spoke. "Shut up Davis!" Bosco said. "I'll have you know it was just dancing." 

"You went dancing last night?" Ty sounded surprised. "No booty action?" 

"Sorry to disappoint man." 

"So what's the story? This chick not hot enough to warrant a ride with Boscorelli, the Italian Stallion?"? 

"It's not like that with her." Bosco replied. Faith heard a locker slam shut and she released a lung full of air that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. 

Bosco was talking about her. He was actually telling Ty about their night. Granted, her hadn't mentioned her name, thank goodness. Faith began to feel warm and tingly. She grinned. She kept grinning until the door swung open and whacked her in the face. 

Faith cried out in pain and grabbed at her nose which had started to bleed. "Oh shit! Faith I'm sorry! I didn't know you were there!" Bosco's eyes were wide and he looked at her frantically. 

Faith felt tears prick her eyes. "Idiot, don't just stand there, get her some paper towels! And a ride to the ER." 

Faith moaned. Bosco ran back into the locker room and returned a moment later with a wad or paper towel and a concerned looking Ty. He stuffed the towels in Faith's face and guided her down the hallway. Davis tagged along. 

"Boscorelli!" 

Bosco whirled around and found Swersky standing in the hall looking very upset. "What the hell happened? Do you want to tell why your partner is dripping blood all over my clean hallways?" 

Faith moaned again. Her face hurt. "I hit her with a door sir." Bosco replied meekly. "I'm taking her to Mercy to be looked at." 

Through the wad of paper towels Faith mumbled, "I'm fine Bos." 

Swersky shook his head and then bellowed, "Someone get clean up in here!" 

Bosco continued leading Faith out of the precinct. Davis still followed. "You're going to the hospital Faith, whether you want to or not." Bosco said firmly. "I might have broken your nose." 

"Oh please don't let me have broken her nose! The last thing I need is to need new shoes, new toilet, new engine and a new partner." 

Bosco pulled the keys to an RMP from his pocket and opened the door. Faith got in, still clutching her face. Her nose may have stopped bleeding, she wasn't really sure. 

"God Davis, don't you have anything else to do?" Bosco stared at Ty who was watching with interest. Ty shrugged. Bosco huffed and then got into the driver's seat of the squad car. Ty waved them a cheerful goodbye as Bosco took off down the road. 

___________ 

"We're going to need to do a head CT to rule out any further damage and you have a mild concussion." 

"But her nose isn't broken?" 

"Just banged up. A nurse will come by to prep you for the CT soon." 

The doctor left the exam room. Faith groaned and leaned back on the bed. Bosco was staring at her, his eyes filled with concern. 

"Want me to call Fred?" Bosco asked. 

Faith shook her head. "No, he's at work anyway. He's working overtime today. There's no point in worrying him or the kids." 

Bosco was absurdly happy that she didn't want Fred called. In fact, he was almost gloating about it. Faith sighed. 

"She's gonna hate me for doing this to her. At least for a few days." 

"I don't hate you Bos." Faith replied. Her brain was so fuzzy that she didn't realize he hadn't said that out loud. 

Bosco cocked his head. "I didn't say that out loud did I? Maybe I did and I don't remember doing it." 

Faith groaned, realizing her error. That was so not what she needed right now. She closed her eyes and tried to conjure up images of her dream again. That was more what she needed. Bosco rubbing sunblock on her hot body. Her returning the favour and running her hands over his chest, gently teasing his... 

"Mrs Yokas?" Faith's eyes snapped open and she found a nurse hovering over her. 

The nurse smiled. "Let's get you ready for the CT." 

Bosco squeezed her hand. "I'll be in the lounge, waiting for you." he said and left. 

The nurse pulled out a needle and jammed it into Faith's arm. Faith winced. "That your husband? He's cute." the nurse said, trying to make small talk. 

"Uhm humm.." Faith mumbled, not bothering to correct her mistake. 

"And he's a cop too. I just love those men in their uniforms." 

"Yeah..." Faith blinked a few times. "Look, I don't suppose you could give me something for the pain could you?" 

The nurse frowned. "It's not on your chart, but I'll consult the doctor. I'll be right back and then we'll move you up to x-ray!" 

Maybe when they did the scan they'd find the cause of her telepathy. Faith knew it was a long-shot but at this point, she figured anything was possible. Maybe someone had planted a receiver in her brain and a broadcaster in Bosco's. She could just imagine the doctor's confusion upon finding a device in her brain. "Well, Mrs Yokas, it would appear that you have a small, something implanted in your brain. We'd like to remove it and study it, if that's alright with you." 

Not that Faith was just dying to have brain surgery or anything. 

______________ 

All her wishing and hoping had proved to be in vain. The CT scan revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Truthfully, she would have been a little freaked out if there actually was something in her brain. 

"I wonder if I can take the rest of the day off..." 

Oh no...oh no no no. Bosco wanted to stay with her the rest of the day. Despite being doped up on pain meds, Faith's head still hurt and listening to Bosco's incessant yammering wasn't helping. 

"I'm going to swing by the precinct." Bosco said. "Then I'll find some way to get you home." 

"Just drop me off at the nearest subway station." Faith replied. "I can get home myself." 

"Her eyes are practically spinning in her head and she thinks I'm just gonna let her go home by herself?" 

"Yes Bosco! I do think that!" Faith cried out and then clapped a hand over her mouth. 

"Okay, I definitely did not say that out loud." 

Bosco slammed on the brakes and pulled over. Several other drivers honked at him and waved their fingers as they drove by. Apparently they didn't notice the lights on top of the car and the large NYPD written in blue on the side. "What the hell is going on?" Bosco asked, staring at Faith with disbelief. 

Faith shrugged. "Nothing." 

"You've been acting really strange these past few days." 

Faith shrugged again. "I'm not sleeping well." 

"How the hell do I say this without sounding crazy? Do I just ask her if she's reading my mind? Oh wait, if she is, she just heard that. Oh hell..." 

Faith kept her mouth shut. Bosco looked at her expectantly. Faith was tempted to reply, oh she was very tempted. But if she told him, things would get weird. Weirder than they already were. 

"I'm fine Bosco." she said finally. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 

Bosco furrowed his brow. "Maybe I'm the one that should have had the CT scan. Maybe I'm suddenly unable to think things. Oh god, what if I've been thinking out loud all the time?" 

"Just take me home Bos." Faith said and Bosco pulled back onto the road. 

_______________ 

"One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish!" 

Faith unlocked the door to her apartment and marvelled how Bosco's thoughts came seemingly out of nowhere. She hadn't a clue why he'd be thinking about fish or Dr Seuss books. 

"I do not want green eggs and ham. I do not want them, Sam I am." 

Faith had a pretty good idea of what to buy Bosco for his next birthday. 

"Mom? Why are you home so early? What happened to your face?" Emily looked up at her mom from the couch. 

"I had a little run in with a door." Faith replied. "I got the day off." 

Bosco kicked off his shoes, he was obviously intending to stay a while. "Oh mom, this came in the mail today." Emily held up a brown box. "It's addressed to dad." 

Faith hung up her jacket and then took the box from Emily. It didn't have a return address, it just said Fred Yokas and their address. Faith hoped that it wasn't an ab-roller or one of those egg cooker things. 

Bosco was helping himself to a soda and merrily chanting Dr Seuss rhymes. Faith set the box down on the kitchen counter and pulled out a knife to cut the tape with. 

"Hey Bosco." Emily said, finally acknowledging that he was in the house. 

Bosco took a mouthful of soda and waved to Emily. Faith cut the tape and the opened the box. Faith made a small strangled noise and Bosco leaned over to have a look. He promptly sprayed his soda all over Faith. 

Faith wiped her face off, barely noticing she was now sticky and damp. "Is that a..." Bosco started to say. 

"Penis enlarger?" Faith finished, her voice barely above a whisper. They both stared at the object with interest. Emily walked over and Faith hastily closed the box as her daughter neared. This was something her daughter definitely did not need to see. Hell, it was something that no one needed to see. 

"What is it mom?" Emily asked, trying to move her mother's hands from the box. Faith snatched it up and clutched it to her chest. 

"It's nothing sweetheart. Just something your father ordered for um, Charlie's birthday." 

Bosco, who had just taken another sip of soda, sprayed his drink all over the fridge. Faith hurried down the hall and dumped the box, with the offending item, in the bedroom. She returned to find Bosco wiping down the fridge. 

"Oh God, now that's embarrassing! Who knew Freddie boy needed a penis enlarger!" 

Faith silently agreed with Bosco, it was embarrassing. Not only for Fred, but for her as well. Emily had shut off the tv and had stalked out of the living room. She looked a little ticked off. 

"Sorry about the shower." Bosco said, approaching her with his damp cloth. 

"It's alright." Faith said. "I knew Fred had been watching a lot of infomercials lately, but I didn't think he was actually ordering things." 

"What channel is seeing ads for those on?" Bosco asked, wiping Faith's arm with the cloth. His touch was gentle. 

"I'm not sure I want to know." 

Faith sighed. Down the hall she heard her kids giggle. The floor creaked and she knew they were up to something. Her headache had increased ten-fold since arriving home and was showing no signs of abating. 

"You want something to drink?" Bosco offered. "You could sit down and I'll bring it to you." 

Faith shook her head. "I'd better see what my wonderful children are up to. I'm hearing a lot of giggling and an inordinate amount of silence." 

Faith walked quietly down the hall. The door to the kid's bedroom was shut and she paused, putting an ear to it. "Mom said it was something Dad ordered for your birthday, but she wouldn't let me see what it was." she heard Emily say. Faith's eyes widened with horror as she realized what they'd been doing. 

"Open it up!" Emily encouraged her brother. "Don't you want to see what it is?" 

There was a small rustling sound and then Charlie said, "What is it?" 

Bosco appeared next to Faith as Emily said, "I'm not sure, it looks like some kind of pump." 

Despite the headache, Faith wanted to bash her head against a wall. Repeatedly. "What are they doing in there?" Bosco asked. 

"Playing with Charlie's new toy." Faith replied. 

"Charlie's new toy?" Bosco scrunched up his forehead. "Oh no...it isn't...??" 

Faith nodded. "Maybe it's for blowing up balloons." Emily suggested to her brother. "Really big balloons." 

"Must not laugh. This isn't funny." Bosco looked a bit constipated as he tried to contain his laughter. Finally the dam broke and Bosco had to walk away, laughing like a hyena on crack. 

Faith knocked on the door and she heard frantic movement and harsh whispers. Finally Emily called, "Come in!" 

Faith pushed open the door and pasted a false smile on her face. Charlie and Emily were sitting on Emily's bed, smiling right back at her. "I just wanted to know if you guys had finished all your homework." Faith said. 

Both children nodded, their heads bobbing simultaneously. "We were done before you came home." Charlie said. He appeared to be sitting on something. 

Faith smiled and nodded. She closed the door again and the ridiculousness of the situation hit her and she clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles. She found Bosco standing in the kitchen, and when he turned around to look at her, Faith broke down into uncontrollable laughter. 

"I love her laugh." 

Bosco was grinning at Faith. Faith was very glad that Fred wasn't due home for another few hours. She wasn't sure she could ever look him in the eye again. Apparently neither was Bosco. As Faith continued to laugh, she felt Bosco grab her and hug her. He was laughing himself. She could feel the vibrations as he held her.   
  



	5. Chapter Five

Title: If You Could Read My Mind... (5/?)  
Author: Kate Anderson  
Email: sam_loves_jack@yahoo.ca  
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine! They belong to Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells and um, some other people. No money is being made from this work. Don't sue, I have nothing you'd want.  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: Faith develops a rather unusual ability.  
  
  
  
  


Faith looked up from the newspaper as the locked clicked and the door opened. Surprise registered on Fred's face when he saw his wife sitting on the couch. "Faith, baby, it's only 9:00, why are you home?" 

Fred hung up his jacket and moved across the room closer to Faith. "What the hell happened to your face?" 

Faith folded up the newspaper and tucked it down the side of the cushion. "I got hit by a door at work today, so they gave me the day off." 

"Did you go to the hospital? I mean, I'm not doctor but that looks pretty bad." 

"Bosco took me to the ER. Don't worry Fred, I'm fine. They gave me a CT scan and everything checked out." 

Fred's face darkened a bit. "Was it Bosco that hit you with the door?" 

Faith sighed and nodded. "It was an accident, he didn't know I was behind it." 

Fred scowled and made his way over to the fridge. "The kids in bed already?" he asked, pulling open the door and peering inside. 

"Emily's listening to music and Charlie's reading." Faith stood up and went into the kitchen with Fred. "You, umm, you got something in the mail today." she said and placed a hand on her husband's back. 

Fred jerked his head up, hitting it on the freezer door. "Did you open it?" Fred looked at his wife and rubbed the back of his head. Faith slowly nodded. 

"Baby, I can explain." Fred said. 

Faith crossed her arms and leaned against a counter. "I'm listening." 

_______________ 

Faith pulled open the door to the locker room and ran inside. "Here she comes to save the day!" Bosco sang to himself as she entered the room. 

"You're late." Bosco said out loud. He was straddling the bench and cleaning his gun. 

"You always say that Bos, but you're still sitting in here too!" 

"I was waiting for you. I wanted to ask you if you'd talked to Fred about the um...thing." 

Bosco holstered his gun. "Just say penis enlarger you moron. You can say the word penis, it's just Faith." He smiled and looked at Faith expectantly. 

Faith made a low noise in her throat that sounded suspiciously like a growl. "Yeah, I talked to him about it last night. Not that it's really any of your business." 

"What did he say?" Bosco stood up and straightened his gun belt out. The handcuffs jangled a bit as he moved the belt around. 

"You really want to know?" 

"Sure." 

Faith pulled her vest over her head and fastened the straps. "He said that he bought it because he was worried that he wasn't 'satisfying me' any more. I'll admit it's been a while since we've...been intimate and I guess he was kind of freaking out." 

Bosco nodded his head. "I wonder if those things really work." He glanced down at his crotch. "Not that I really need one." He smirked and continued nodding his head. 

Faith felt her face flush at that particular thought of Bosco's. "So anyway, I told him that it really wasn't necessary." she said and buttoned up her blouse. "It's not him, it's me." 

Bosco groaned. "You didn't really tell him that it's him, it's you, did you?" 

"Yeah, why?" 

"That's such a crock!" Bosco exclaimed. "That always means that it's actually the guy's fault!" 

Faith twisted her hair up and slid the barrette through it. "No, it actually is me! I just haven't been in the mood for a while. It's got nothing to do with Fred not satisfying me. Fred of course, thinks it's because I'm never home and I spend all my time with you or something ridiculous like that." 

Bosco raised his eyebrows, "Score one for team Bosco!" he thought triumphantly and was about to say something aloud when the door to the room opened and Swersky stuck his head in. "Boscorelli, Yokas! What the hell are you two doing? You missed roll call!" 

"Sorry Lieu!" Bosco called out. "We're running a little late today!" 

"I want to see you two in my office ASAP!" The door slammed shut. 

"Great." Bosco griped. "Probably more hooker patrol. You look terrible by the way." 

Faith a ran over her face. There was a large purplish bruise on her cheek. "I know, I tried to cover it with makeup, but nothing was working." 

"You sure you're okay to work today? I mean, that was a pretty hard knock you took yesterday. Just tell Lieu you're feeling dizzy or something." 

"Bos, I'm fine. Let's just get out of here, talk to Swersky and find out what our punishment is going to be." 

______________ 

So far Faith's day had been pretty terrible. She could barely look her husband in the eye in the morning, she had been late for work and to top it all off, she and Bosco were put on foot patrol for the day as punishment for being late and missing roll call. 

"Dammit, I really need new shoes!" Bosco's mind was screaming in pain. 

Faith looked over at him and noticed that his limp was growing more pronounced with each step he took. "Your feet bothering you Bos?" 

Bosco looked up at her and winced. "Yeah, my shoes are breaking down inside and they're killing me. I think I have a blister the size of one of those Himalayan mountains on my heel." 

"Let's stop, sit down for a while." Faith suggested and they walked a few more feet until they reached a bench on the sidewalk. Bosco sat down with groan. 

"Why don't you just buy new shoes?" Faith asked. 

Bosco brought one leg up and began taking off his shoe. "I don't have the money! My car's still sitting in the shop, waiting for the parts on order to come in, and I've been using my neighbour's toilet or holding on until I get to work. I have to fix those things before I can think about paying for new shoes!" 

He set the shoe down on the bench next to him and pulled the sock off his foot. "Oh that feels good." he thought and wiggled his toes around. 

Faith cocked her head and noticed the angry, red blister that had popped up on his foot. "Ouch." she said and Bosco shot her a glare. 

"Ouch doesn't even begin to describe this!" 

Faith sighed and looked around. "Look Bosco, there's a shoe store the next block over. Just put your shoe back on and I'll buy you some new shoes." 

"She's kidding right? She can't afford to buy me new shoes." Bosco looked perplexed. 

"Are you serious?" Bosco asked and rubbed the arch of his foot. 

"I'm serious. You need new shoes. If we don't do something, you're going to be crippled before the end of this shift." 

Bosco pulled the sock back on and winced as he stuffed his foot back into the shoe. "She wants to buy me shoes!" he thought happily and Faith sighed inwardly. 

______________ 

"Yikes lady, what happened to your face?" A small child looked at Faith and scrunched his face up. Faith smiled at the kid and then winced. Smiling made her face hurt. "Did you get hurt when you arrested a bad guy?" 

"Yeah something like that." she replied. 

The child smiled at her. "I bet you're a real good cop. My daddy doesn't like cops, but I do. They're our friends. That's what they told us at school." 

"Speaking of school, why aren't you there?" 

"My mommy's taking me shoe shopping!" the child exclaimed gleefully. "So I don't have to go to school today!" 

"Where is your mommy?" Faith glanced around the shoe store and noticed a young woman a few aisles over. "Is that her over there?" 

The child nodded. "Yup, that's her." 

"Maybe you should go over there with her. She might get worried if she can't see you." Faith suggested. She just wanted to get rid of the bothersome kid. 

"My mommy doesn't care. She knows that I won't go anywhere or talk to strangers." 

"I'm a stranger. You're talking to me." 

The kid looked at Faith as though she were the stupidest being to ever crawl the earth. "You're a police officer. I can talk to you! Is that your partner over there?" 

Bosco was standing in front of a mirror, checking out a pair of shoes at all angles. "Yeah, that's my partner." Faith replied. 

"I saw a show once, about two police officers." the kid said. "They were a man and a lady just like you two." 

"That's nice." Faith shifted her weight over to the other foot and tried not to sigh. 

"And you know what?" 

"No, I don't know what." 

"They were in love!" The child looked at Faith seriously. "Are you two in love?" 

Faith resisted the urge to roll her eyes, sling the child over her shoulder and deliver the little brat to his mother. Bosco had been listening to the conversation as he admired himself in the mirror and he was apparently very interested in hearing her response. 

"In love?" Faith repeated. "It depends on what love is, I suppose." she said, hoping that answer would confuse the kid enough that he wouldn't push the issue. 

The child bit his bottom lip and nodded. "On the show, the man and the woman kissed a lot. Do you kiss him a lot?" 

Bosco coughed and pulled another pair of shoes off the shelf. Faith's eyes widened. "Uh, no. I don't." 

"Oh, okay." The kid looked almost disappointed. "I'd better go see my mom. She might need help picking out a pair of shoes for me!" He ran off down the aisle. 

"Nosy kid." Bosco said. "What do you think of this pair?" 

Faith looked down. "They look fine Bosco. You must have tried on a hundred pairs already." 

"I wonder if she does love me." 

Faith continued to stare at Bosco's feet. She was wondering the same thing. 

_______________ 

With Bosco's new, rather expensive, shoes the rest of the shift passed relatively quickly and painlessly. They sat in the locker room, not really having anything to talk about. Bosco, of course, was babbling away but he didn't know that Faith was listening in. 

"Thanks again for the shoes." Bosco said, breaking the silence. "I really appreciate that." 

"No problem." Faith replied. I just won't be eating for the next month, she added silently. 

"So, uh...have you got all the decorations and stuff for Charlie's party yet?" 

"Not quite. I have a few balloons and streamers but we still need to get a banner and candy for the goody bags. It's still a few days away, there's no rush on it." 

Faith sat up and grabbed her jacket from her locker. Bosco was debating on whether or not to invite her for a drink. If he asked, she'd have to say no. She needed to go home to Fred tonight, whether she actually wanted to or not. 

"You up for a drink tonight?" Bosco pulled on his own jacket and looked at Faith. 

Faith shook her head. "I think I'd better take a pass on that one Bos." 

"Right, she's probably gotta go home and bang Fred." Bosco looked faintly ill. 

"Maybe tomorrow night. I had a nice time when we went the other night." Faith said, hoping to make Bosco feel better and get him to stop thinking of her and Fred. 

"She had a nice time? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" 

"You're a great dancer." Faith continued with what she'd been saying. "We should dance again." 

"Yeah okay." Bosco half smiled and then zipped up his jacket. "I should get going. Hopefully my cabbie tonight isn't the same one I had this morning." 

"Get another crazy one?" 

"I think they're all crazy, but this one smelled bad. Kind of like a combination of old gym socks and smoked meat." Bosco said. 

Faith wrinkled her nose. "That's kinda disgusting." 

"Tell me about it. So yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." Bosco pushed open the door and waved to Faith before leaving. 

With Bosco gone, a blissful silence settled over the room. She breathed in and exhaled slowly, trying to get herself relaxed before she had to go home and face Fred. 

______________ 

Faith unlocked the door to her apartment and pushed it open. As she stepped inside, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her. "Hey baby." Fred whispered and nuzzled her ear. 

Faith disengaged herself from Fred's arms and looked around the apartment. There were lit candles everywhere and a bottle of wine, with two glasses was on the coffee table. "The kids are staying with Mrs Hall tonight." Fred said and tried to kiss her. "I thought maybe that we could..." 

Oh God no! Faith's mind screamed at her. She tried to think up a viable excuse for not wanting to be with Fred, but nothing was coming to mind. "What's wrong baby?" Fred asked. He was getting frustrated with her obvious lack of enthusiasm. 

"I'm just really tired tonight Fred." 

"God dammit Faith! You're always tired!" Fred looked a bit peeved. 

"Bosco and I were on foot patrol today." Faith replied. "So I was on my feet all day." 

Fred tried to kiss her collar bone but Faith pulled away. "Then you'd better get off your feet." Fred replied and took her hand. "Sit down on the couch. I'll rub your feet for you." 

"Fred I..." 

"You what?" 

Faith stood rooted on the spot, staring at her husband. "I can't do this." she said quietly. 

"Can't do what? Sit down?" 

"No, I can't be with you right now. I'm going to bed." Faith didn't even look at Fred before she ran down the hall and slammed the bedroom door.   
  



End file.
